This invention relates generally to apparatus for holding beverage containers and more particularly to such apparatus for holding containers in automotive vehicles.
Many people, when traveling in automotive vehicles, enjoy drinking a beverage. Whether the vehicle is in motion or not there is a need to have a support for the beverage container which is secure as well as advantageously located. Various devices for this purpose are available but all suffer from certain limitations. There are some, for example, which are adapted to be mounted on top of the dash of the vehicle underneath the windshield. In this location the view of the operator is somewhat obstructed by the device as well as the beverage containers disposed in the device. Further in the event of spillage the liquid can easily fall on the operator or passenger. An even greater limitation however, is the fact that when the beverages are hot the windshield tends to fog up thereby causing serious safety problems.
Other devices are adapted to fit on the door of the vehicle with a tab portion received between the window and the window seal. This device can be useful when the car is stationary but serves as an obstruction for the operator when the car is in motion. Further, in many cars the window seal is too tight to allow easy reception of the tab portion.
Still other devices are adapted to fit on top of the raised centrally located rounded floor portion. However, in this location the containers are located in a position that requires the operator to take his eyes off the road to see where to pick up or put down a beverage container. Another limitation for this type of device is the fact that in many of the vehicles currently being built the transmission lever and parking brake handle occupy the space where these devices would otherwise be placed.